NiSi introduces a new filter holder for smartphones. The NiSi P1 Prosories mobile phone filter kit is easy to mount, easy to operate and fits in your pocket, so it might just be worth a closer look!
The NiSi P1 just clips onto your smartphone.
The best camera is the one you have handy when you need it. More often than not, that camera might just be your mobile phone. And why not? Modern phones have quite neat camera systems. But one thing they lack is the ability to manually optimize the resulting images in-camera. Sure, you can apply myriads of hip software filters, but you’ll never be able to replace decent glass filtration with funky algorithms.
NiSi P1 Prosories Mobile Phone Filter Kit
We’ve seen it all before: from tiny outboard lens adapters to full-blown rigs which transform your phone into “real” (cinema) camera systems. The NiSi P1 Prosories mobile phone filter kit is not a totally new addition to the smartphone market, but it still has the potential of enhancing your work when it comes to shooting with your built-in smartphone camera.
The NiSi package offers a clip-on filter holder and a set of two filters: a 0.9 (3 Stop) graduated ND and a polarizer. This is indeed a mindfully picked set for the most basic needs of every hobbyist or enthusiast smartphone photographer.
The grad ND filter helps fighting bright skies while keeping the landscape scenery beneath it untouched. The polariser filter, on the other hand, produces rich colors (especially for blue skies) while minimizing reflections from glass and other reflective materials.
The filter holder can be rotated 360° to select the exact position of the polarizer and achieve the best performance for each shot. The ND filter can be adjusted to achieve perfect alignment with the horizon. Both filters are made of photographic – and therefore high-quality – optical glass, while the holder itself is made of aluminium to keep the weight low.
The NiSi P1 filter holder can be mounted to any smartphone and can be used in portrait or landscape format. Furthermore, you can mount the filter holder to either the rear or the front facing camera.
Pricing and Availability
The whole kit will be shipped from the beginning of April and is relatively cheap: the NiSi P1 Prosories Mobile Phone Filter Kit is yours for $55.
Whether it also fits modern double lens cameras such as the iPhone X remains to be seen, though. Moreover, it does not look as if both filter stages can be rotated independently of each other. However, this little gadget could significantly improve a lot of photos and videos without the help of digital filters.
Links: NiSi
What do you think about adding real glass filters to your arsenal of your always-ready smartphone camera? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Cinema camera underdog Kinefinity has just announced the latest addition to its line-up. Say hello to Kinefinity MAVO!
The new Kinefinity MAVO is a 6K-capable Super 35mm cinema camera building upon the legacy of the company’s previous line, the Kinefinity Terra. Although the MAVO offers plenty of professional features, its price of “only” $14,000 for a complete camera package with all accessories is still massively disruptive – a strategy that Kinefinity is clearly intent on keeping up.
Kinefinity MAVO
The Kinefinity MAVO is a modular system similar to what the manufacturer did with the Terra line. The camera body includes the brand new 6K CMOS Super 35mm sensor, along with basic I/O, headphone output, 2.5” SSD port, built-in mic and the port to attach the SideGrip – a side handle offering basic controls and battery compartment – and the KineMON – the camera’s proprietary monitor.
Like the Terra, the Kinefinity MAVO becomes a much more powerful beast when attaching the optional KineBACK module at the rear of the camera body, which unlocks more professional features such as dual XLR inputs with phantom power, SDI outputs, V-Lock battery capabilites, D-tap power outputs, and timecode in/out. The new version – the KineBACK-W – seems a lot easier to attach, requiring only a couple of screws rather than fumbling around with a delicate ribbon cable, as was the case with the Terra. This means it is a lot quicker to go from a fully built-up camera to the compact 990g body-only, perfect for mounting on a gimbal.
Wireless Capabilities
This new version of the KineBACK, however, offers new integration for wireless functionality. It features a slot into which you can insert a new wireless transmitter card, unlocking a system capable of wireless video transmission with a claimed zero delay, as well as wireless lens control via the Movcam system, all this without additional cables or powering.
KineMOUNT
The Kinefinity MAVO still makes use of the Kinefinity KineMOUNT system, a versatile mount that allows you not only to easily change between Sony, Canon, Nikon and PL mounts, but also takes the manufacturer’s proprietary EF or PL variable ND filter attachment and KineENHANCER (Kinefinity’s version of a Speedbooster).
Additionally, the Kinefinity MAVO will feature a removable OLPF. This is significant, as the Kinefinity TERRA 4K – the company’s current entry-level option, which also offers very interesting features at a very low price – suffered from severe OLPF reflection flare issues when pointed directly at strong sources of light. This has been a cause of concern for many potential buyers doing their due diligence, so having the possibility to remove the OLPF altogether, or easily replacing it when new and improved versions become available, could be a good compromise.
Kinefinity MAVO Image
Kinefinity’s new camera offers a Super 35mm sensor, larger than the Terra 4K sensor which was halfway between Super 35mm and Micro Four-Thirds. This new 6016×4016 pixel sensor offers over 14 stops of dynamic range, and various maximum frame rate, resolution and sensor windowing combinations including Open Gate and 4:3 for anamorphic capture, as you can see in the graphic below. Despite the larger sensor, Kinefinity claims improved rolling shutter speeds, putting it in the same ball park as the RED 8K-capable cameras.
Source: Kinefinity Live Stream
In terms of processing, the Kinefinity MAVO also has some great improvements, with the addition of ProRes 422HQ, ProRes 444, ProRes 444XQ codecs to the previously available ProRes 422. Kinefinity’s own flavour of Raw has been updated to KRW 2.0, and now allows for an adjustable compression ratio from 2:1 to 10:1. Kinefinity previously offered a free software utility to transcode KRW to cinemaDNG, so what is even bigger news is that MAVO can record cinemaDNG internally at 3:1, 5:1 and 7:1 compression ratios.
Pricing and availability
Kinefinity MAVO will be available in four packages:
Body Only: $7,999
Basic: $9,499
Pro: $10,999
Full: $13,999
If the Terra pricing scheme is anything to go by, the Basic package will also include accessories such as the KineMON, SideGrip, a couple of BP-U 30 style batteries, charger, KineMAG SSD and power cables. The Pro package will also include the KineBACK module, case and shoulder rig kit. I would guess the Full package includes all the necessary accessories to unlock the wireless capabilities of the camera. There will also be trade-in deals for owners of earlier Kinefinity cameras.
We are still awaiting information regarding worldwide shipping dates, so stay tuned!
New Large Format Camera Too? Kinefinity MAVO LF
In the age of Sony Venice, RED Monstro and ARRI ALEXA LF, it is clear that there is a tendency towards large sensors at the very top tier of cinema cameras. Clearly, Kinefinity didn’t want to lag behind.
During the live stream today, Kinefinity also announced an upcoming large-format cinema camera, the MAVO LF, which will pack a 36x24mm sensor, just a wee bit smaller than the ALEXA LF. This camera – which will no doubt become Kinefinity’s flagship after the now ageing KineMAX – will benefit from all the improvements of the upcoming Kinefinity MAVO, and will become available in August 2018.
Source: Kinefinity Live Stream
For more information about the MAVO camera line, head over to www.kinefinity.com/mavo.
New MAVO Prime range of cinema lenses
As if the announcement of two new cameras wasn’t enough, Kinefinity also announced a complete range of cinema lenses for the MAVO platform. The MAVO Prime lenses will cover 25, 35, 50, 75 and 135mm at T2 with full-frame coverage, and a price tag of around $12,000 for the whole set.
So there you have it: a news announcement to shake up your Sunday. Also, NAB 2018 is just around the corner, so we look forward to seeing if Kinefinity will have a working MAVO to check out.
NOTE: It seems that the updated Kinefinity operating system will also become available for Terra cameras. Bear in mind that not all functions will become available, likely due to hardware limitations.
Have you shot on a Kinefinity camera before? Could the MAVO finally be this manufacturer’s breakthrough into the big leagues in the cinema camera market? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

The result of the “Camera Shootout 2018 – Canon C200 vs Panasonic EVA1” hosted by Zacuto is now available to watch on YouTube. During this shootout, Zacuto put the Panasonic EVA1 and Canon C200 through a series of tests in order to try and declare a “winner”. After watching this battle carefully, here are my thoughts.
The tests were performed in order to push the Canon C200 and the Panasonic EVA1 beyond their limits. The cameras were forced to perform in challenging environments, in order to explore which camera will “break” under the pressure.
As opposed to previous shootouts like the “Great Camera Shootout 2011” which demonstrated a side by side comparisons between DSLRs vs. very pricey high-end cinema cameras, this shootout was meant to compare two popular cameras that share a similar price tag, form factor and functions. More on preparing this shootout (including BTS pics) can be found here.
Canon C200 vs Panasonic EVA1 – Zacuto Camera Shootout 2018:
Watch the full show:
Tests performed:
Day Time Interior
Night Time Interior
Day Time Exterior
Night Time Exterior
Motion Blur/Rolling Shutter
Slow Motion
The panel:
Bruce Logan, ASC designed and administered a series of tests in Chicago with Mitch Gross from Panasonic and Ken Rowe from Canon.
The process:
Shooting in various formats (raw, log, mov, mp4).
Applying LUTs.
Color grading at Canon’s facility in Burbank, LA — with all parties present.
Camera Shootout 2018 Full Test Footage 4k – Panasonic EVA1 vs Canon C200:
How to examine the results?
Of course the best way would be to download the files, but this is not possible yet. All we have is the YouTube video. EDIT: Now you can download raw files and more here! The most logical observation would be through targeting the “flat” looking images (RAW and Log) and trying to see differences in the dynamic range, highlights, shadows and noise. Then, look at the graded images as those offer a possible feel and look. The LUT versions are nice to have, but less important for the comparison.
Regarding the graded versions, please remember that the colorist has a crucial role in defining and creating the final look, and it is possible that a different colorist would come up with a whole different color approach! In spite of that, this is a good reference and you should check it out.
Rolling shutter
Don’t forget to check out the rolling shutter test in the last minute of the YouTube video. Surprisingly, both cameras have some serious issues with rolling shutter.
Digital cameras are like film stocks
Bruce Logan, ASC said something very interesting here. Bruce compared the two cameras to film stocks – meaning, there is no good or bad here, just a different look and style. In my opinion, this statement is very true. Every camera has its own style. Both of them are capable of processing a huge amount of information and thus grant respected results in preserving highlights, shadows and colors. But again, in a different style.
Final thoughts
Canon has two recording format options – MP4 and RAW. As stated in the discussion, the RAW output from the EVA1 will be available sometime “before NAB”. As recording in RAW is much tougher and will not “break” easily in post, I find that not being able to compare the two is the main mismatch here. Maybe a thing to consider for the next camera shootout…
When it comes to sharing the visual results, I have decided not to post screenshots from the YouTube 4K comparison, since they don’t seem too accurate. I can see some resolution and/or compression issues in the YouTube video, although the files were exported to YouTube in ProRes 422. Somehow, it doesn’t look accurate enough for examination. Of course, this is my personal opinion.
EDIT: The YouTube link above has been replaced by a 4K link, means that now the quality is high and good enough for examination.
This was a tough test. Both cameras did well! There is no winner here. Just a different look – like using a different film stock.
What do you think of this shootout? Can it help you to come up with a decision regarding which camera to purchase? Share with us your thoughts in the comment section below.

The FUJIFILM X-H1 flagship camera is now shipping and it is nice to see that FUJIFILM has kept its promise to deliver an ETERNA LUT in time for its F-Log gamma picture profile.
ETERNA – The new film simulation by FUJIFILM
In my FUJIFILM X-H1 review you could see some sample footage taken with the included ETERNA film simulation picture profile, which – to my eyes – was very pleasant to look at. Now, shortly after hitting the market, FUJIFILM is offering three free LUTs for downloading. One of them is the ETERNA LUT, which will bring your F-Log “flat” image to look as if it it was shot with the original ETERNA film simulation picture profile (some visual differences may occur depending on the filming environment).
It is worth mentioning that the FUJIFILM X-T2 does not have the ETERNA film simulation picture profile built-in, although it can record in F-Log mode when connected to an external recorder. So if you are after the ETERNA look when filming with the FUJIFILM X-T2, this is a nice solution for you.
Speaking of the which: if you had a chance to look at the interview I did with Jun Watanabe-san form FUJIFILM, it is encouraging to know that they are seriously considering adding an internal F-Log to the X-T2 camera. Let me add that I wish that the ETERNA film simulation picture profile should be considered too…
For more information, please head to FUJIFILM’s download page.
If you already had a chance to use the new ETERNA film simulation picture profile in your project, share your opinion with us!

There’s a new traveler’s jacket from BAUBAX which has become very successful on Kickstarter. It comes in different designs and promises a lot of features and storage possibilities. Could it be any good especially for filmmakers?
BAUBAX 2.0 Jacket. Source: BAUBAX Kickstarter
BAUBAX 2.0 is a second generation travel jacket created by US company BAUBAX. The first generation was very successful: backers pledged over $9M on Kickstarter. The company has since then made some improvements and added features. Their new jacket, the BAUBAX 2.0, now sports 25 features and 4 different styles – vest, windbreaker, bomber and sweatshirt. They offer both designs for men and women and an option to choose from few colours.
The jacket has already been completely overfunded on Kickstarter but there are still 30 days left to get it for around $130,- depending on the design.
The BAUBAX 2.0 jacket is primarily marketed as a perfect traveling companion. By having so many pockets and integrated features it’s perfect for long travels. In particular it should offer more comfort while flying and undergoing all the neccessary procedures like long waits and security controls (as displayed in BAUBAX promotional video).
As filmmakers we travel often for our work as well, which is why I think we are a good target group for this product (I especially like the integrated neck pillow and eye cover). I took a second look on the jacket’s design though and selected few particularly useful features. In my opinion the following features of the BAUBAX 2.0 might be especially appealing for the filmmakers community:
The integrated (half-)gloves could be practical for colder environments but also for controling small buttons, dials and touchscreeens as they don’t cover fingertips. And you always have them with you and can’t lose of forget them, so that’s a plus. That fact alone could come in handy for lots of filmmakers. However, these “gloves” don’t look like they are very warm in extremely cold weather, so they should be considered back-up gloves only.
The drink pockets can set both hands free very quickly if you need to put a lens away that you hold in your hand, for instance not to miss a good shot when in a run-and-gun situation.
The integrated microfibre cloth can be used for occasional lens or display wiping and since it is connected with the jacket it will not get lost so easily. On the other hand the bond between jacket and the cloth could be quite limiting when it comes to lens or display wiping.
Last but not least I think the integrated keychain could be a useful feature too as it could hold not only keys, but maybe a small tool which filmmaker needs all the time (for example a screwdriver, a leatherman or similar tool). With the provided strap it would always be ready to use in the jacket’s pocket.
I feel it is neccessary to say that if you are not an Apple user, you will not be able to use all of the jacket’s features as some of them seem especially designed for their products.
Jacket should start shipping in August 2018. If you are interested in checking it out and get one, go ahead to the campaign website.
Do you also think this jacket could be useful for filmmakers? Can you think of more specific advantages for our community? Let us know in the comments below.

The new Manfrotto Befree Advanced special edition tripod showcased at CP + is aimed at the Sony Alpha crowd, and is the result of a new marketing and product collaboration initiative between Manfrotto and Sony.
The Manfrotto Befree Advanced is an improved version of Manfrotto’s popular compact travel Befree tripod and is positioned just above of it, keeping its compactness (40 cm when collapsed), but with an increased payload capacity from 4 kg to 8 kg. Additionally, a newly-developed ball head with a friction adjustment and pan lock knobs has been included. These improvements help support heavier cameras and lenses due to an increased locking strength. In addition, the rigidity of the new tripod has also been improved by a complete review of the design and materials.
The new Befree Advanced “special edition” is actually very similar in specifications to the original Befree Advanced tripod, but differs by having a colored camera plate which perfectly matches the look of Sony Alpha camera bodies and, as you can see in the picture above, some design elements have been added to the tripod legs too.
According to Manfrotto, this the first step in a close future collaboration between them and Sony, and we can definitely expect future joint products to emerge. The Befree tripod is currently available for purchasing in Japan and Europe, while a worldwide debut planned for the second half of April.

We’re well into 2018, and NAB is around the corner. Let’s take a look at three technologies set to make a big impact to broadcast and production.
If I had to pick three technologies that stand out as most significant to the immediate future of the production and broadcast industry, it would be IP, HDR and full color LED lighting. Let me explain why.
What is IP?
The convergence of high-performance video processing and computer hardware has been a logical technology development path for the past decade as processing power and networking bandwidth have increased. Many of the most powerful devices in a studio television production or outside broadcast pipeline is now effectively a combination of powerful computer processing with video I/O and some internal storage. What differentiates similar products on the market – and what you’re essentially investing in – is software.
The Grass Valley LDX86 Universe 4K camera and XCU HD/4K XF IP provides 4K over a single wire 10GigE link
Even today’s cameras are essentially computers with an image sensor and lens mount. Of course, there is still dedicated hardware involved, FPGA’s and ASIC’s are required to power the image processing pipeline, but essentially the capabilities and feature sets are defined in firmware (the built-in software that controls the hardware).
At the consumer end of commercial television, set top boxes (also little computers) are receiving and decoding video streams for us to watch on our TVs, or we are decoding video streams directly on our smartphones and tablets. All of this is quite generic, low cost, common hardware, which is running – you guessed it – more software.
It’s simply not so much about the hardware anymore. It’s about software, and dealing with large amounts of data as efficiently as possible. This has significantly brought down costs and opened up a vast world of possibilities and flexible workflow scenarios that were impossible before.
Video is Data
Essentially we are dealing with computers talking to other computers at every point in the pipeline from image acquisition all the way to end user devices.
We need to transition from seeing video as video in the traditional baseband sense, and rather see it as what it has essentially become: data. It is far more efficient for computers to be networked and deal with data as it has been in the IT domain for many decades, than to be converting to and from traditional baseband video in and out of all of our devices.
The Grass Valley K-Frame production switcher offers 4K IP networking over 10GbE.
IP simply stands for “Internet Protocol” and defines how computers have been communicating over networks long before our current transition to data-centric video workflows.
The Grass Valley IP enabled family for a full end to end 4K IP broadcast and live production workflow.
Whether we like it or not, video has become just another type of data. It takes on IT workflows, IT hardware, and IT vocabulary. It’s up to us to understand, accept, and make the transition.
HDR
Walk the show floor of any international broadcast trade show and you can’t help but notice everyone’s talking about a few things. These are IP, which I’ve introduced, UHD and HDR. These three technologies are intrinsically interlinked, and often co-enabled, although they are not necessarily co-dependent. You don’t have to have them all, and I would argue the most important of these to talk about next is HDR.
HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, and it has to do with technologies and standards that allow us to capture, process, distribute and view video with a higher, more lifelike contrast ratio, and much brighter highlights than traditional HDTV standards (and television displays) to date have allowed.
HDR does not necessarily have to mean UHD (Ultra High Definition). In fact, to the end viewer, HDR images at HD resolution have far more of an impact than UHD images in SDR (Standard Dynamic Range).
Of course, the combination of HDR at UHD resolution makes the biggest impact of all, but for many broadcasters, the jump to UHD production and broadcast is simply not yet commercially viable.
Thankfully, it is possible to lay the foundations for a UHD (and beyond) future without jumping the whole gap at once. The two technologies that will add the most value and lay this foundation are migrating towards an end-to-end IP infrastructure, and HDR at HD resolution.
Getting into the various HDR standards competing for acceptance and their application is beyond this short explanation, but we have covered some of this in other articles in the past.
A Revolution in Lighting: Bigger, Brighter, Better
More color, more control, brighter and more vibrant images is where we are headed. All of this means greater viewer experience and more creative possibilities for us. It’s often difficult to navigate the landscape of new tech, as some things stick around and some don’t.
The ARRI SkyPanel has become synonymous with the LED softlight, and the S360 is the largest and most powerful LED softlight available.
Production and studio lighting technology is undergoing the most significant transformation in over a century. Relatively low-power, portable LED lighting solutions have of course been on the market for more than a decade, but have been far more of a compromise than any real revolutionary improvement.
LEDs have suffered limited power, limited size, and inaccurate or poor spectral performance. This has all changed with the arrival of truly accurate, and fully color-tunable RGBW and RGBWW LED lights offering significant power output in the form of both large aperture soft lights and Fresnels.
There is a technological theme running through everything I’ve covered, and that is the rise of computers and software in places we never thought we’d find them. Lighting is one surprising place where the integration of a micro-controller and clever control software (a “light engine”) is exactly what has transformed the humble LED light panel from a compromised solution into a creative tool the likes of which we’ve never seen.
The Litepanels Gemini offers ultimate control of its calibrated RGBWW LEDs and is an example of the latest in LED lighting technology.
Using software to map and control individual red, green, blue and white LED chips, it has become possible to implement truly accurate CCT curves over a wide color temperature range with +/- green in an LED lighting fixture. It is possible to precisely factory-calibrate every light individually to match a target profile, which means that every light performs identically.
It has also become possible to dial in any color within the gamut of the light, and imitate entire gel libraries. Special effects and any number of control protocols can be enabled entirely in software.
This kind of precision and control is the future of lighting whether in studio or on location, and has never been possible before.
What do you think is most significant? Let us know in the comments.

TOSHIBA has developed a pretty smart secured SD card which can be locked via your smartphone in order to prevent unauthorised access.
The “SD” in SD card stands for “secure digital”, but in reality these cards are not really secure when it comes to keeping your data safe.
Imagine the following scenario: you’re shooting on location and somehow your SD card with all the valuable footage is lost. While that alone is of course quite annoying, there might be another reason to worry: what happens to the footage if someone finds that SD card? This new secured SD card might be the answer for at least this latter problem.
TOSHIBA Secured SD Card
This new card might look just like an ordinary SD card but there’s more to it. Much more, actually. The 32GB secured SD card offers a write speed of 10MB/sec (class 10), which is sufficient for FullHD video and even 4K (with decent compression). For a short refresher on speed classes, have a look at this overview:
image credit: SDcard.org
A full-fledged NFC (near field communication) radio chip is integrated in the TOSHIBA SD card, making it possible to lock the card using a NFC-capable smartphone. Once it’s securely locked, you still can record footage to the card but you won’t be able to read any files stored on it.
This way, if a card gets lost or even stolen, nobody will be able to read it – a feature that, according to TOSHIBA, was requested by several broadcasting companies. This layer of protection won’t save you from loosing your valuable cards but at least it will give you a little peace of mind that nobody can mess with your (even more) valuable footage.
Further Developments
Just two days ago, one of the DJI Inspire 1 drones we are currently using during a production crashed and parts of the drone – including the camera itself and the micro SD card – have been lost ever since. Our drone operator flew in a rocky environment, and all we could find after the crash was the battery and parts of the frame.
The tiny (yet important) detail of interest here is the micro SD card. Thoshiba’s Hase-san reports that this new feature currently only works with regular-sized SD cards due to the sheer amount of technology inside. It’s pretty hard to shrink the size of all the components used to fit a micro SD card.
Let’s hope that TOSHIBA pushes this technology further since I believe it’s a good thing to protect your valuable content against theft and misuse. And these days, micro SD cards are pretty common in smaller sized cameras.
Availability
These TOSHIBA secured SD cards are being mass produced right now, but there’s no word on pricing and availability yet. TOSHIBA will launch this new kind of SD card in Japan first and then expand production as needed to cater the global market.
What do you think? Would you like to be able to lock your recording media? Let us know in the comments below!